Transplant Infectious Disease
Published Online: 26 May 2009

Short communication
High rate of infection and immune disorders in patients with hepatitis C virus
after liver transplantation

D. Micheloud 1 , M. Salcedo 2 , R. Bañares 2 , D. Rincón 2 , J. Jensen 3 ,
J.J. Rodríguez 3 , E. Fernández-Cruz 3 , J. Carbone Campoverde 3 , S. Resino 4

1 Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital General Universitario 'Gregorio
Marañón', Madrid, Spain , 2 Liver Transplantation Unit, Hospital General
Universitario 'Gregorio Marañón', Madrid, Spain , 3 Clinical Immunology
Unit, Immunology Division, Hospital General Universitario 'Gregorio Marañón',
Madrid, Spain , 4 Research Unit, Instituto de Salud 'Carlos III', Majadahonda,
Madrid, Spain

Correspondence to:
Dariela Micheloud, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital General
Universitario 'Gregorio Marañón', C/Doctor Esquerdo 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain

Tel: 3491 586 8423
Fax: 3491 586 6698
E-mail: michelouddary@...


ABSTRACT
Abstract: The aim of this prospective study was to analyze the incidence of
serious infections and changes in immunological markers after liver
transplantation (LT) in a cohort of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). This
study included 34 patients who had LT, 20 patients with HCV etiology (HCV
group), and 14 patients with alcoholic etiology (non-HCV group). Patients with
HCV were more likely to have severe infections (80%) in comparison with patients
in the non-HCV group (42%) (P=0.05). The HCV group had a 3-fold greater
likelihood of early severe bacterial infections than the non-HCV group. At 1
week post LT, the HCV group showed higher values of CD19+ B cells/μL than the
non-HCV group (P